Chuck’s Commentary - The End Of The Government Shutdown? + Is Trump Entering His Lame Duck Era?
The Chuck ToddCast
Concerns About Trump's Cognitive Fitness
Chuck Todd addresses anecdotes of Trump misspeaking and worries about his grasp of reality, comparing media coverage expectations.
On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck breaks down the latest in Washington as the government shutdown nears its end—and the political fallout begins. Democrats have shown more backbone than expected, while Donald Trump’s strategy has Republicans quietly questioning his grip on power. From his push to cut SNAP benefits for his own voters to his increasingly distorted view of the economy, Trump’s disconnect from reality is starting to cost him. Chuck also looks at the Democrats’ strong showing in the recent elections, what it says about voter sentiment heading into 2026, and whether we’re witnessing the beginning of Trump’s lame duck era. Plus, the ripple effects of Trump’s policies—from affordability to the upcoming World Cup—and what Mike Johnson’s loyalty to Trump means for the GOP’s future.
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to revisit the surrender of the Ottoman Empire after World War 1 and the lasting implications for peace in the middle east, answers listeners’ questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment and breaks down the weekend in college football.
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Timeline:
(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements)
00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction
00:30 End of the government shutdown seems imminent
02:15 Democrats have had a stiffer spine than expected
03:00 Surprising that Trump fought to cut SNAP, many were his voters
04:30 Trump ran on protecting benefits, has done the opposite during shutdown
05:15 Trump keeps claiming the economy is better than it is
06:00 Is Trump in an information bubble that’s not giving him reality?
07:00 Trump being out of touch is making Republicans start to distance from them
08:45 Mamdani’s election was not “the most important” result
09:45 New Jersey governor result was more revealing than Mamdani’s
10:30 Democrats win in Nov 4th election showed it was a referendum on Trump
12:00 Democrats should take the win and cut a deal to end shutdown
13:00 Are we entering the lame duck period of Donald Trump’s presidency?
14:45 Trump’s handling of the shutdown has been terrible politics for Republicans
16:15 The affordability message penetrated, culture war didn’t at all
17:30 Trump’s policies are creating a mess ahead of the 2026 World Cup
19:00 Trump is more focused on his image rather than affordability
19:45 Some Republicans are realizing they’ll have to break with Trump
22:15 Mike Johnson has basically become Donald Trump’s puppet
23:30 Trump is either losing his grip on reality, or trying to remake it
25:00 Trump falling asleep in meetings is a big deal
31:30 November 11th, 1918 World War 1 ends
32:15 Surrender of Ottoman Empire is largely forgotten, hugely consequential
33:15 Terms of surrender were incredibly harsh
34:00 European powers began carving up the middle east
34:45 Europe stopped fighting, the middle east didn't
36:15 In the US, World War 1 is only taught as a prequel to WW2
37:15 WW1 is the reason the middle east is still a mess today
39:15 We need to improve how we teach the history of World War 1
40:15 Ask Chuck
40:30 Can you explain why the senate has 60 vs. 50 vote thresholds?
45:45 Should the Virgin islands join with other islands to become a state?
46:45 Love for the election night livestream
48:00 Why haven't the 2026 federal appropriations been approved?
50:30 Chuck's experience at Vets for Tech event
59:45 College football reaction
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